The msondo (or msondro) is a type of drum played in the

Swahili Swahili may refer to: * Swahili language, a Bantu language officially used in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda and widely spoken in the African Great Lakes. * Swahili people, an ethnic group in East Africa. * Swahili culture, the culture of the Swahili p ...

-speaking world, including Zanzibar and Comoros. It is featured in the region's genre of

taarab Taarab is a music genre popular in both Tanzania and Kenya. It has been influenced by the musical traditions of the African Great Lakes, North Africa, the Middle East, and the Indian subcontinent. Taarab rose to prominence in 1928 with the adv ...

or twarab music.

Construction

The Zanzibari version is described as "a slightly tapered, open-ended drum approximately 3 feet tall" The Comorian version is described as made of a terra-cotta pitcher topped with goatskin.

References

{{reflist Tanzanian musical instruments Comorian musical instruments Hand drums